Spring transforms some of the country's floodplains into habitats of the snake's head fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris), with the Poganis meadow and the Cheveres area being representative for the Banat region.

Between March and April, the fritillary blooms like in a honeymoon season. Visitors must tread carefully among the flowers to avoid crushing them, even accidentally, as they have been declared a natural monument since 1950.

A symbol of elegance and fragility due to its delicate appearance, the flower is associated with nobility, refinement and the fleeting nature of beauty. It is not easily spotted and requires a keen eye to find it among the decaying foliage in the Cheveres area.

The number of blooming fritillaries varies significantly from year to year, from around 3,000 specimens estimated last year in the Banat floodplains to just a few dozen this year, depending on humidity, according to forestry and environmental specialists in Timis County.

As a protected plant declared a natural monument, forestry and environmental experts avoid disclosing its exact habitats in order to shield it from 'nature lovers' who pick the flowers or uproot them to replant at home, leaving meadows depleted.

Biologist Nicoleta Ianovici, a professor at the Department of Biology of the West University of Timisoara, describes the Poganis meadow as a 75.5-hectare botanical reserve established in 1974 and formalised in 2000. At its core flows the Poganis River, one of the few tributaries of the Timis River in its south-eastern section, draining a significant part of the hilly region south of Buzias.

Although the river's flow decreases considerably in summer, its bed persists, splitting into different channels over a distance of more than 1.5 kilometres between the villages of Cadar and Otvesti, across an eight-kilometre stretch. This hydrological pattern creates uncontrolled flooding, preventing agricultural activity and maintaining the moist conditions essential for the fritillary.

'Fritillaria meleagris L (snake's head fritillary, chess flower) is a young perennial species, 20-30 centimetres tall, which appears between late March and early May. In Romania it is rare and found in oak forests, boreal forests and wetlands, especially in damp meadows near forest edges. It is protected under Decree no. 237/1950, which grants it the status of natural monument. The plant must be protected because its life cycle is particularly delicate. Seed germination requires a three-month cooling period in moist conditions, while bulbs need four to five years to mature and flower for the first time. As with all geophytes, the bulb is a critical nutrient source. The species has become threatened over time due to meadow ploughing, agricultural modernisation and, in the second half of the last century, gravel extraction from floodplains,' Ianovici told AGERPRES.

Intensive grazing during the growing season or cutting plants before maturation reduces fritillary populations.

The plant's relationship with water is fragile: it tolerates intermittent flooding but cannot survive if groundwater remains high at root level for prolonged periods, especially from spring to autumn, the biologist explained.

Occasional use of manure in flood-prone areas may be beneficial in the short term, but the species cannot withstand intensive agriculture or large quantities of chemical fertilisers.

Habitat studies suggest that although the fritillary now prefers meadows, it was originally a forest species that expanded into open areas following deforestation of floodplains. Interestingly, there are almost no morphological differences between plants growing in meadows and forests, demonstrating a strong adaptive capacity, Ianovici said.

'Exploring the Poganis meadow reserve offers the chance to witness a truly unique natural phenomenon, but always with caution. Protecting each fritillary is a moral responsibility: a bulb takes around five years to produce a flower, and picking one would mean losing half a decade of evolutionary history. Visitors are encouraged to take only photographs and memories, avoid stepping on wet ground where young bulbs grow and appreciate the plant without touching it. Respect for the habitat is the truest form of appreciation,' the biologist added.

Forestry engineer Ion Sirbovan, specialising in forest regeneration and environmental protection at the Timis Meadow Forest District, does not recommend promoting the area for tourism during the flowering period, precisely to protect the species.

'A large number of tourists could attract individuals with harmful intentions, who might damage the habitat by removing bulbs. For this reason, we avoid disclosing the exact location of the species to prevent harmful tourism that could lead to its disappearance. Our priority is to protect the fritillary, not to turn it into a target. Numbers fluctuate significantly from year to year. Last year up to 3,000 specimens were observed, while in weaker years the number dropped to around 30. This year we have observed only a few dozen, influenced by weather conditions such as drought,' Sirbovan explained.

Lecturer Cosmin Marius Ivascu from the Faculty of Chemistry, Biology and Geography at the West University of Timisoara noted that the fritillary is also known locally in Banat as 'cuc', likely due to its checkered pattern resembling the plumage of the cuckoo bird. Its motif is frequently found in traditional costumes, gates and verandas in the region.

'It is a remarkable flower, and its beauty makes it particularly vulnerable, to the point that it has become endangered. Even if some believe that preserving the bulb is sufficient when the flower is picked, this is not entirely true. Without the flower, the bulb loses the vigour needed to bloom in subsequent years. Studies show that excessive picking has led to the disappearance of populations even when bulbs remained. Larger populations can be found in Bucovina, Dobrogea and Serbian Banat, which is rich in rare flora such as the Banat peony, the Banat crocus and spring adonis. The snake's head fritillary motif can be seen on houses, in traditional costumes and on gates, particularly in the Poganis meadow area,' Ivascu said.

The snake's head fritillary also has a rich cultural heritage, and Professor Nicoleta Ianovici recounted for AGERPRES one of the legends associated with it.

'One of the legends tells the story of Daria, an orphan girl raised at the court of the Shah of Persia, where she tended the palace gardens. One night, she dreams of a young woman who asks her for flowers for her sick mother, promising in return a never-before-seen checkered tulip. The next day, Daria finds the flower in the garden and cares for it devotedly. Later, her uncle invents the game of chess to entertain the Shah, and Daria offers him the flower, naming it the 'chess flower'. During a journey, Daria meets Ramiro, a young prince, and the two fall in love. After overcoming various hardships, they arrive in our lands, where they spread the checkered tulip as a symbol of love and friendship. In this way, the flower becomes immortal and comes to be known across different regions of Romania. In conclusion, the Poganis meadow represents a place where botanical conservation intertwines with cultural tradition. The importance of the reserve lies in maintaining a unique mosaic ecosystem, in which hydrological dynamics and appropriate agricultural practices allow the survival of a species with complex biological requirements. Through legal protection and a deep understanding of its habitat, the Poganis meadow remains an essential benchmark for national biodiversity and a sanctuary for the checkered tulip in this part of the country,' said UVT biologist Nicoleta Ianovici.

Ion Sirbovan stressed that measures to protect the snake's head fritillary include cooperation with institutions such as the Environmental Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency, as well as organising visits for pupils, while avoiding the disclosure of specific location details. As a result, no forestry operations are carried out during the flowering period.

'In the area, we also have other protected fauna species, such as a colony of grey herons, which we monitor and care for, nesting in the Macedonia Forest near Ciacova. These are migratory birds that return in spring to rebuild their nests and lay eggs, and leave in autumn with their young. The heron is protected and monitored. We also have the steppe eagle in the Banloc forest area, another protected species, and our teams monitor bird nests to ensure they are occupied. Protecting the habitats in which these species live is essential, and any disruptive activity is avoided during breeding periods,' Ion Sirbovan added.

His remarks on how rare and valuable these species are in the Banat region make one feel fortunate for the few photographs taken in the fritillary meadow at Cheveres and for the chance to retain the delicate fragrance of the 'chess flower' in memory.

Tulip legends, originating in the Middle East, link these flowers to eternal love and intense passion, and in the 18th century, during the reign of Sultan Ahmed (1703-1730), cultivating or selling tulips outside Istanbul was considered a crime punishable by exile. Their value was measured in gold, which is why they are known as the 'golden goblet'. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Otilia Halunga; EN - writing by: Simona Iacob)